A Kelowna man is suing a local doctor and Interior Health after he says a botched surgery left him with a “deformed penis.”
In a notice of civil claim filed Tuesday, the man says the surgery was performed on April 27, 2021, after he suffered a minor mountain biking injury the previous spring.
Castanet has opted not to name the plaintiff due to the medical details disclosed in the suit.
The spring 2020 mountain bike crash left the man with a tear in his penis' “left suspensory ligament," which caused the appendage to slightly bend, but caused him no pain.
He attended Kelowna General Hospital and met with a surgeon. According to the suit, the man claims the surgeon told him he could re-attach the left suspensory ligament, but he had only ever conducted the surgery once before on a cadaver.
Five days before his surgery, he met with a nurse at KGH. He says the nurse told him he would instead be undergoing a “division operation,” although it's not clear what that entails.
The man claims he told the nurse he was not supposed to undergo that surgery, but the nurse told him to contact the surgeon. He says he was unable to get in contact with the surgeon prior to the surgery.
When he arrived at KGH on April 27, 2021, he met with the surgeon just minutes before the operation, the man claims.
“The Plaintiff explained to [the surgeon] that he was doing the wrong procedure and that all he needed was the suspensory ligament re-attached but [the surgeon] was not listening,” the claim states.
“The Plaintiff told [the surgeon] that he did not consent to this operation being conducted ... The Plaintiff started to cry, and the next thing he knew, he was waking up in the recovery room with his penis bandaged up.”
The man claims he suffered a “deformed penis” as a result of the “negligent and improper surgery” performed by the surgeon.
“This deformity caused the Plaintiff immense pain and suffering, and he was required to have additional surgery to repair the damage that was caused to his penis,” the claim states.
The Plaintiff continues to suffer from pain, emotional distress and can no longer hold an erection and/or engage in or enjoy intercourse with his spouse without immense pain and discomfort.”
The man is seeking general damages, special damages and costs for the health care services he required.
Neither Interior Health nor the surgeon has filed a formal response to the man's claims.
